What (NOT) to eat/drink to keep your teeth white!

So I'm really excited because this is my first post actually related to the name of my blog!

A large part of teeth whitening is in fact the prevention of discoloration and the maintenance of currently white teeth.

In the future I will talk about all the non-natural ways of whitening your teeth - whitestrips, particular pastes, whitening kits, etc - but for now here are some things to keep in mind at your next meal or the next time you order that grande caramel macchiato from Starbucks.

1) A great number of beloved/routine/favorite American drinks stain tooth enamel. Coffee is the main culprit here, especially black coffee. Although I consider myself purely a social drinker when it comes to coffee (particularly iced coffee), TONS of people I know incorporate cups and cups of it into their morning and evening rituals. If you can't possibly cut down on coffee, try drinking it through a straw (iced coffee of course! please don't burn your throats) to avoid contact with the front of your teeth. Also, the darker the coffee, the more it dims your smile. Add some milk to your cup o' joe to lessen the effects!

2) Red wine also stains your teeth. An easy answer is to use a straw so that it bypasses your teeth. But yeah we all know how silly you would look sipping on that cabernet sauvignon through a straw on your Saturday night date or at your cousin's wedding. To avoid looking too dorky, discretely swish your mouth with water after you finish your glass (getting caught playing with water in your mouth is arguably less embarrassing than your hot date completely judging you for using a straw). Plus, you can hedge your bets that your buzzed family will be too distracted to catch you in the act - so swish away!

3) Dark sodas and fruit juices, especially cranberry and grape juice, will also cause teeth discoloration. Not only are these drinks already on the D-list for being extremely high in sugar, but also they may erode your enamel. Less (or NO) soda please!

All of these drinks stain your teeth slowly. Unfortunately, these stains become more and more noticeable as we age (a one-way train-ride, sorry kids!).

One of the BEST things you can do to keep your teeth white is of course daily maintenance. Now go brush your pearly whites!!

A general rule of thumb: anything that can cause a stubborn stain on a white cotton T-shirt most likely can stain your teeth.

Make sure your date doesn't see you like this! (see below)
or even worse, her blouse could be your front teeth. (solution = straw)!



photo from Douglass Green

Eric